101st Air Refueling Wing: Difference between revisions

101st Air Refueling Wing
132d Air Refueling Squadron - Boeing KC-135R Stratotanker refueling an F-22A Raptor
Active	1942-Present
Country	United States
Branch	Air National Guard
Type	Wing
Role	Air Refueling
Part of	Maine Air National Guard
Garrison/HQ	Bangor Air National Guard Base, Bangor, Maine
Nickname(s)	"MAINEiacs"
Motto(s)	He Strikes As Lightning
Tail Code	A white tailband with black text 'Maine' included.
Engagements	Burma Campaign 1944–1945
Commanders
Notable commanders	Gabriel P. Disosway
Insignia
101st Air Refueling Wing emblem

The 101st Air Refueling Wing (101 ARW) is a unit of the Maine Air National Guard, stationed at Bangor Air National Guard Base, Bangor, Maine. If activated to federal service, the Wing is gained by the United States Air Force Air Mobility Command.

The 101st Air Refueling Wing principal mission is air refueling. The wing enhances the Air Force's capability to accomplish its primary missions of Global Reach and Global Power. It also provides aerial refueling support to Air Force, Navy and Marine Corps aircraft as well as aircraft of allied nations. The wing is also capable of transporting litter and ambulatory patients using patient support pallets during aeromedical evacuations.

The Wing also supports the State of Maine by assisting in the protection of life and property, maintaining peace and order, and providing civil defense capabilities. This was evidenced during the 1998 Ice Storm, where the 101st maintained a shelter in its hangar in conjunction with the Red Cross, and sent personnel out to help communities in clean-up operations so that electrical companies could access downed power lines.[1]

The 101st Air Refueling Wing consists of the following major units:

• 101st Operations Group

132d Air Refueling Squadron

• 101st Maintenance Group
• 101st Mission Support Group
• 101st Medial Group

The direct predecessor to the 101st Air Refueling Wing is the World War II 311th Fighter Group. The 311th was one of only three groups to use the A-36 Apache dive bomber version of the P-51 Mustang. It was created in 1942 as a light bombardment group, training with the Vultee Vengeance, before moving on to the A-36 (and the P-51) when it entered combat in India as part of Tenth Air Force.

Trained with V-72 Vengeance aircraft. Moved to India, via Australia, July–September 1943. Assigned to Tenth Air Force. Operating from India and using A-36A Apaches. The units aircraft had yellow tails with two black bands; the 530th Fighter Squadron having its diagonal bands sloping from top right to bottom left, while the other two Squadrons had theirs either vertical or sloping the opposite way. The red nose was also a squadron marking. Many planes of this Group had a girl's name on the nose but very few had any artwork.

The squadron supported Allied ground forces in northern Burma; covered bombers that attacked Rangoon, Insein, and other targets; bombed enemy airfields at Myitkyina and Bhamo; and conducted patrol and reconnaissance missions to help protect transport planes that flew The Hump route between India and China.

Converted to P-51C Mustangs in May 1944. Moved to Burma in July and continued to support ground forces, including Merrill's Marauders; also flew numerous sweeps over enemy airfields in central and southern Burma.

Moved to China in August 1944 and assigned to Fourteenth Air Force. Escorted bombers, flew interception missions, struck the enemy's communications, and supported ground operations, serving in combat until the end of the war. Ferried P-51's from India for Chinese Air Force in November 1945. Returned to the US in December 1945.

Inactivated in early 1946.

• Constituted as 311th Bombardment Group (Light) on 28 January 1942

Activated on 2 March 1942

Re-designated: 311th Bombardment Group (Dive) in July 1942

Re-designated: 311th Fighter-Bomber Group (Single Engine) in September 1943

Re-designated: 311th Fighter Group in May 1944

Inactivated on 6 January 1946.

• Re-designated: 101st Fighter Group, and allotted to Maine ANG, on 24 May 1946.

Received federal recognition and activated, 4 April 1947

Federalized and ordered to active service on: 10 February 1951

• Established as: 101st Fighter-Interceptor Wing, 10 February 1951

101st Fighter Interceptor Group assigned as subordinate unit

Inactivated on 6 February 1952

• Released from active duty and returned to Maine state control, 1 November 1952

Received federal recognition and activated, 1 November 1952

101st Fighter Interceptor Group withdrawn from Maine ANG and inactivated 30 April 1954

101st Fighter Interceptor Group allotted to Vermont ANG, extended federal recognition and activated 1 June 1954

101st Fighter Interceptor Group withdrawn from Vermont ANG and inactivated 31 March 1956

• Re-designated: 101st Air Defense Wing, 14 April 1956

Re-designated: 101st Fighter Group (Air Defense) allotted to New Hampshre ANG, extended federal recognition and activated 14 April 1956

101st Fighter Group (Air Defense) withdrawn from New Hampshire ANG and inactivated 31 August 1960

Re-designated: 101st Fighter Group allotted to Maine ANG, extended federal recognition and activated 1 September 1960

Re-designated: 101st Fighter-Interceptor Group, 1 December 1960

• Re-designated: 101st Air Refueling Wing, 1 July 1976

101st Air Refueling Group inactivated, 1 October 1978

• III Fighter Command, 2 March 1942 – 18 July 1943
• Tenth Air Force, 14 September 1943 – 28 August 1944
• Fourteenth Air Force, 18 August 1944 – 14 December 1945
• Army Service Forces, 5–6 January 1946
• 67th Fighter Wing, 4 April 1947
• 102d Fighter Wing, 1 November 1950
• Eastern Air Defense Force, Air Defense Command, 10 February 1951-6 February 1952
• Maine Air National Guard, 1 November 1952

Gained by: Eastern Air Defense Force, Air Defense Command

Gained by: Bangor Air Defense Sector, Air Defense Command, 8 January 1957

Gained by: 36th Air Division, Air Defense Command, 1 April 1966

Gained by: 36th Air Division, Aerospace Defense Command, 15 January 1968

Gained by: 21st Air Division, Aerospace Defense Command, 1 October 1969

Gained by: Eighth Air Force, Strategic Air Command, 1 July 1976

Gained by: Air Combat Command, 1 June 1992

Gained by: Air Mobility Command, 1 June 1993-Present

• 101st Fighter-Interceptor (later Fighter (Air Defense), Fighter, Air Refueling) Group, 10 February 1951-6 February 1952; 1 November 1952-1 October 1978

Re-designated 101st Operations Group, 16 March 1992-Present

• 158th Fighter Group (Air Defense), 15 April 1956-1 July 1960

• 382d Bombardment (later 528th Fighter-Bomber; Fighter) Squadron: 2 March 1942 – 6 January 1946

Re-designated: 132d Fighter (later Fighter-Interceptor, Air Refueling) Squadron, 4 April 1947-6 February 1952; 1 July 1954-Present

• 383d Bombardment (later 529th Fighter-Bomber; Fighter) Squadron: 2 March 1942 – 6 January 1946

Re-designated: 133d Fighter (later Fighter-Interceptor) Squadron, 4 April 1947-6 February 1952; 1 November 1952-30 June 1954; 1 July 1954-14 April 1956

• 384th Bombardment (later 530th Fighter-Bomber; Fighter) Squadron: 2 March 1942 – 6 January 1946

Re-designated: 134th Fighter (later Fighter-Interceptor) Squadron, 4 April 1947-6 February 1952; 1 November 1952-30 June 1954; 1 July 1954-14 April 1956

• 385th Bombardment Squadron: 2 March 1942 – 30 Sep 1943

 This article incorporates public domain material from the Air Force Historical Research Agency